A Health and Human Resources Cmte hearing, chaired by Dr. Larry Deutsch, was held at council chambers on January 24th at 5:45pm. The anti-war resolution was drafted as an ongoing proposal to be presented at Monday’s (Jan.28th) Council meeting at 6:30pm.

The Thursday(24th) Cmte hearing was attended by employees of the City Health dept., myself representing Veterans for Peace and the Green party, Nick Carbone and several administrators and clients from the city shelters. On the agenda also was the ongoing struggle of shelters to stay open for the people and the need for more funding. Shelter workers noted that veterans were a significant portion of the shelter population. Nick Carbone presented figures attesting to Dept of Corrections dropping off released convicts in Hartford with no money and no shelter. Some of these individuals are veterans. The VA has dropped off veterans in Hartford with no money or shelter. It was agreed by those of us who spoke for the record that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have had a serious negative effect on the lives of people and the economy of Hartford.

Soon to become apparent will be an increase in heroin addiction among returning Afghan veterans. It happened after Viet Nam and today Nam veterans are clients of the methadone clinics in Hartford. The clinic has saved many lives and allowed combat veterans with addictions and exposure to hepatitis and AIDs to live
productive lives for themselves and their families. The South Park Inn shelter will be starting a drop in center for Veterans. They are having a planning meeting on Thursday January 31 from 1-3 pm at 75 Main St, the South Park Inn.

This is a rough draft of the anti-war resolution that is being proposed by city council persons Larry Deutsch and Luis Cotto along with the support of Veterans for Peace and the Green Party.

Resolution Regarding effects of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan on City of Hartford residents, and regular provision of information for Council and residents on Whereas Service men and women are nobly sacrificing their health or lives in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan every day, and many who return suffer, along with their families, continuing physical and mental illness which affects them and their community, with physical disability, post traumatic stress disorders, and other
conditions, and

And whereas the City of Hartford’s estimated contribution to the cost of this war is estimated at $245,000,000 as of the end of FY 2008, and that further information is available which details such expenditures which diminish our resources in the City of Hartford for urgent needs of our population immediately and in the long term for education, housing, health care, culture, and other needs, be it

Resolved, that the best support we can give our troops is to bring them home now, and help them and their families heal as needed with adequate support, and

Resolved, that towards the goal of achieving a fully informed public including city officials and the general population, and so that we remain mindful of the ongoing loss of vital individuals who have sacrificed their lives in this tragic conflict, that at every meeting of the Hartford City Council meeting there be a reading of the names of all service men and women who have been casualties (traumatized or killed) of these conflicts since the last gathering of the Council, and a presentation with each Council agenda of data showing the current costs to our City in human and financial losses, including estimated funds from individual and family resources through taxes or other
expenditures, and funds from City sources as lost service s in education, health, infrastructure, and other needs, and be it further

Resolved, that this resolution be communicated by the City Clerk to members of our State and Federal legislative representatives and to the chief executives.

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